Wednesday, January 28, 2009

This past spring, I caught Thomas McCarthy’s THE VISITOR and found myself unexpectedly taken with Richard Jenkins. I had only known him as the infamous Nathaniel Fisher on “Six Feet Under” and suddenly felt as though I had never seen him before. In October, I caught a press screening of FROST/NIXON and thought Frank Langella had it locked after his pitch perfect incarnation of Richard Nixon. Then I saw Sean Penn in MILK. I’m not a huge Penn fan but, as soon as I was through weeping, I was consumed with how transformative his performance was. I couldn’t imagine it getting any better but then I saw THE WRESTLER. Aside from being completely floored by Mickey Rourke’s comeback performance, I was most excited to know that the Best Actor race at the Oscars would be the most exciting race around. Oh wait, I forgot about Brad. This is probably because I found him and THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON fairly forgettable.

For five years, all anyone knew of Richard Jenkins was that he was one of the coolest dead guys around and that he certainly did a number on his adopted television family. In THE VISITOR, Jenkins plays Walter Vale, a widow who hasn’t lived a day since his wife passed. It isn’t until he meets visitors from foreign lands in a home that is supposed to be his own, that he realizes that he is a visitor in his own life.

Jenkins was always a dark horse to get the nomination in this category and this is certainly a case where the nomination will be the ultimate honour. The nod will open plenty of doors though and Jenkins will walk right through them. We may hear his name here again before very long.

Langella’s Nixon is a tricky one indeed. He is always on top of whatever game is being played. He always has his sights on a grand return to the public eye, one that he never doubts he is fully entitled to. It is the moments where he finds himself alone though that reveal the most surprising aspects of a very guarded personality – fear and uncertainty. Langella makes Nixon human.

Langella originated this role on the stage and has been in Nixon’s skin long enough to make everything look so easy. He was the early favorite this year, with the added sympathy bonus for missing out last year on a nod for STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING, but this race comes down to only two horses really.

Penn is considered to be one of the most prolific living actors of his generation. As I mentioned earlier, I’m not always sold on this. As Harvey Milk though, he embodies the spirit of progress, equality and life, all of which made the real Harvey Milk so incredibly charismatic and convincing. Penn’s portrayal of the first openly gay man elected to American public office is no caricature; it is tender and human.

Unfortunately, Penn won the Oscar a few years ago for MYSTIC RIVER, a performance I never felt was that impressive in a film that I always felt was horribly overrated. Having one statue already on his mantle or his toilet (I don’t know where he keeps these things), puts him at a disadvantage here as voters might choose to reward someone who has never won before. That said, he just picked up the SAG award and that has a lot of sway.

Pitt is hit or miss most of the time. He definitely hit it in David Fincher’s 13 times nominated epic but was it really him who hit it? Pitt’s facial expressions were captured using CG and subsequently graphed onto a number of other actors’ faces and bodies to show the character’s transition from old and dying to young and new. Personally, I never felt like I truly ever came to know Benjamin Button despite the technical marvel.

Pitt may have gotten swept up in Benjamin Button buzz here because he is way out of his league considering the competition. That’s saying a lot considering the gravitas of this particular superstar. Still, many have argued that Pitt’s performance is a collective collaboration with a handful of other actors, all of which had Pitt’s face pasted on theirs.

It only takes about five minutes of watching Darren Aronofsky’s return to form, THE WRESTLER, before you are amazed by how perfect Rourke is as Randy "The Ram" Robinson, an aging professional wrestler who still has to play in order to pay for his lackluster life. Rourke’s performance inspires such intense sympathy but remains authentic and realistic. It is no exaggeration when people say Rourke was born to play this part.

After picking up the Golden Globe for this performance, it pretty much comes down, in my opinion, to a final death match between Rourke and Penn. Rourke’s recent announcement that he will be fighting in a legitimate WWE wrestling match a few months from now is a little odd but Rourke still has one major advantage over Penn, the comeback vote. Who doesn’t love a comeback … especially when it is this damn good?

All in all, this a very hard one to call. I’m going to have to flip a coin now and make the big decision at the last second. Heads, it’s Penn; tails, it’s Rourke … And Rourke it is!

Sunday, January 25, 2009

The Best Supporting Actor race this year is a bit of a formality. Four of the nominees should start appreciating their nomination now because a win will not be following. The Academy may have ignored THE DARK KNIGHT in the top categories but there is no way they can ignore Heath Ledger’s last completed performance as The Joker. Not only does the man have an immense amount of sympathy behind him but he has also won nearly every major award leading up to the Oscar and – now this is the crazy part – he is actually amazing as The Joker. It is impossible to remove the layer Ledger’s death added to the way his performance is seen but does it really matter when he is completely engrossing and captivating? It’s fair to say who I’m putting my money on here but just to be fair, the nominees for Best Supporting Actor are …

Josh Brolin for MILKBrolin is beautiful as the man who kills Harvey Milk and subsequently establishes the infamous twinkie defence, Dan White. Brolin’s performance is mostly internal. He is clearly always thinking but what he is thinking about is a tightly guarded mystery that struggles to come to the surface.

Brolin made a major comeback last year with stellar performances in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN and AMERICAN GANGSTER, both of which were overlooked by the Academy. And after his finely nuanced performance as former President, George W. Bush (it feels so good to be able to use the word, “former” now) in Oliver Stone’s W., the Academy is rolling all their love into this one nod. Sean Penn is the likely favorite to win an acting award for MILK though and Brolin is not Ledger.

Robert Downey Jr. in TROPIC THUNDERFor years now, Downey Jr.’s potential comeback was slight at best. Then came 2008. His turn as Tony Stark in IRON MAN brought him back to the level of celebrity he was always destined for. His turn in TROPIC THUNDER is certainly one of the best things about Ben Stiller’s very funny but also often very dumb comedy. Black face is generally frowned upon but Downey Jr. not only pulls it off, he shows us a thing or two about our own prejudices while he’s at it.

THE SOLOIST was supposed to be Downey Jr.’s ticket to the Oscars this year but when that got bumped to the spring, weight was thrown behind TROPIC THUNDER. He wouldn’t have won the Best Actor Oscar this year given the competition and he won’t win the Supporting Actor nod either for the same reasons. Welcome back though.

Philip Seymour Hoffman in DOUBTHoffman has overcome many an odd in Hollywood. He is not a typically handsome, svelt leading man but he is one heck of a great actor. He shines over and over again in almost everything that is thrown at him. Albeit little seen and even less appreciated, Hoffman’s lead performance this year in Charlie Kaufman’s SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK was marvelous. It is his more traditional role as a priest accused of abusing a young boy in DOUBT that has the Academy’s full attention though.

Hoffman has the best chance of besting Ledger in this category. This is fitting as Ledger and Hoffman went head to head three years back for their respective roles in BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN and CAPOTE. Ultimately, Hoffman took home the statue there and that will likely leave voters throwing it the other way this time out.Heath Ledger in THE DARK KNIGHTWhat can I say that I didn’t already say? Ledger hasn’t always been a critical darling but he always wanted to be. He fought hard against playing typical roles and got the recognition he deserved for spots in MONSTERS BALL, CANDY and the aforementioned BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. In THE DARK KNIGHT, he does exactly what he did in that gay cowboy movie (c’mon, for old time’s sake); he transforms his entire self into his character. Sure, he had precedent to draw upon as The Joker but this is The Joker like we’ve never seen him before. He is naturally playful and sinister but he is also empty and hollow inside. He is essentially terrifying and entirely deserving of what will likely be only the second posthumous Oscar to be awarded in history.

Michael Shannon in REVOLUTIONARY ROADShannon almost passed up the opportunity to play John Givings, a man out of step with society in the 1950’s and therefore deemed mentally unfit, to star in a play. It must have been one heck of a good play opportunity because he would have been passing up an incredible opportunity that has now led him to his first Oscar nomination.

Shannon was tipped to be a contender in this category very early on but the tepid reception to REVOLUTIONARY ROAD by most critics was seemingly squashing that. Oddly enough, he finished by being the only actor in that film to garner a nomination. Still, it is clear to me that Shannon nabbed the fifth spot here and it would be a miracle for him to climb to the top.PREDICTIONLike I said before, there is no contest here. Black Sheep bets on Heath Ledger, hands down.

Up until a couple of weeks ago, it was widely thought that Penelope Cruz would take this prize for her feisty performance in Woody Allen’s VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA. Then Kate Winslet went and won the Golden Globe for her performance in THE READER and all bets were off. When the Oscars were announced though, that all changed again. The Winslet camp’s decision to push her role in THE READER as supporting failed and the Academy nominated her as a lead instead. This put Cruz back at the forefront and allowed for one other lady to get an invitation to the ball.

The nominees for Best Supporting Actress are …

Amy Adams in DOUBTThis is Adams’s second Oscar nomination in total and in this category. She was nominated a few years back for her boisterous performance as a pregnant girl from the sticks in JUNEBUG. She is now nominated for a polar opposite performance as a school teaching nun who has beliefs shaken in DOUBT.

Adams was the unexpected entry here. Nabbing the fifth slot does not bode well for her chances and she has not scored much recognition so far. Still, the entire cast of DOUBT scored nominations and the acting division clearly likes Adams and the film. The Academy did not throw a lot of love for DOUBT anywhere else though so I suspect this is not Adams’s year.

Penelope Cruz in VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONACruz does not appear in Woody Allen’s latest into about half way through the film but when she does, the already enjoyable film becomes something inspired and exciting. As Maria Elena, Cruz is dramatic, smoldering and insightful. She wraps her beautiful lips around all of Allen’s incredible dialogue as though they were thoughts that burned in her soul.

Cruz is almost always more enjoyable when she is speaking her mother tongue. Her lead performance in this summer’s ELEGY was also very subtly nuanced despite it being in English though and the praise she won for that role will certainly help her chances here. This is Cruz’s second Oscar nomination after her leading role in Pedro Almodovar’s VOLVER and I think the Academy is ready to acknowledge that Cruz is not just a pretty face.

Viola Davis is DOUBTDavis did not blow me away in DOUBT as she seems to have done to everyone else. As Mrs. Miller, she must rectify her son’s future being open with his potentially damaging present at the hands of a supposedly abusive priest. It is one of those dilemmas that is unfathomable but Davis makes it all make sense. She makes the most of her time on screen but it was not enough to leave an impression on me.

Davis’s performance in DOUBT is one of those controversial turns where one has to decide whether it is fair or not to reward someone who only has a dozen or so screen minutes. She won the Breakthrough Performance award at the National Board of Review but little else. Still, she remains a strong competitor in this category.

Taraji P. Henson in THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTONHenson first made me stand up and take note (well, maybe not literally) when she appeared in HUSTLE & FLOW with Terrence Howard. She is loud and dominant but she gets her point across and does so within minutes of appearing in David Fincher’s opus. As Benjamin Button’s adoptive mother, Henson shows what real mothers are made of and exudes love and protection.

This is Henson’s first Oscar nomination and the Academy will likely assume that more opportunities to reward her will come up later. That assumption might be premature. I read the other day that Henson says she has no offers on her table currently and that was after the nominations were announced. It sounds to me like she needs a new agent.Marisa Tomei in THE WRESTLERTomei gives another signature bare performance in Darren Aronofky’s THE WRESTLER. This time though, she is bare in a whole other way as she plays an aging stripper. Yet still, even though she is standing there without clothes on for a good portion of her performance, she manages to shed even more layers to show us this character.

Tomei is already an Oscar winner in this category. She nabbed the prize for MY COUSIN VINNY way back in the 90’s. Many thought it was unwarranted but the Oscars don’t do do-overs. She has spent a lot of time proving herself since then and even earned another nod in this category in 2001 for IN THE BEDROOM. I would love to see her take this but THE WRESTLER is Mickey Rourke’s to win for.

PREDICTIONIt’s time to party like you’re on a beach in Spain. Black Sheep bets on Penelope Cruz.

Alright, yes, PAUL BLART: MALL COP held on to the number one spot this weekend with a very narrow decline. And yes, UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS opened in second place with respectable numbers considering Kate Beckinsale did not return for this third outing. None of this matters though because this past Thursday, the 81st Annual Academy Award nominations were announced and it’s time to check in on the top nominee to see how they fared now that the highest honours have been bestowed upon them.

Two out of the five nominees for Best Picture find themselves in the Top 10. Re-entering in ninth place this weekend is the nominee leader with a whopping 13 nods, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. The film has been playing in wide release now for six weeks but still managed an 8% increase. With a total of $111 million, it is by far the most successful of the five nominees. It may have come in second place in the overall tally but SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is the top box office performer this weekend amongst the nominees. The film entered its first wide release frame this weekend and moved up five spots to reach the number five position, a new high in its lengthy 11 week run. The film has nabbed up over $55 million already and judging from the reception and accolades that keep lining up for it, the Danny Boyle success is almost certainly destined to top $100 million.

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE was not the only Oscar hopeful that planned its wide release expansion for this weekend to coincide with expected nominations. Best Picture nominee, FROST/NIXON added a hefty 946 screens to see its take increase over 350% from last weekend. While it may sound impressive, its average was under $3K, which is nothing compared to the averages it was pulling down in limited release. THE WRESTLER only managed to earn two Oscar nods (Springsteen was robbed!) but that didn’t stop it from increasing over 115% after adding 422 screens this last week. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD came up short at the Oscars, earning only three nominations but it had already planned to add 887 screens so what can you do. The film saw its returns increase by 195% and just missed the Top 10 so hopefully that will make up for the Academy not giving the love to Winslet’s disheartening performance. Lastly, THE DARK KNIGHT reentered IMAX theatres this weekend in hopes of capitalizing on its nominations and crossing the $1 billion mark internationally. Sadly, it missed the nominations in all the major categories, save for Heath Ledger’s supporting turn, and Warner Bros. has not released its projected earnings so I can’t even tell you if it lost out there too.

The remaining two nominees for Best Picture did nothing this weekend to take advantage of their recognition. Still, both MILK and THE READER saw their earnings increase by 10% each. MILK is essentially finishing its run while THE READER will expand next weekend.

NEXT WEEK: There will be no box office report as Black Sheep will be on a beach somewhere.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

John Givings: Now you’ve said it. Plenty of people are onto the emptiness but it takes real guts to see the hopelessness.

The drive from the train station is not that far. Once you get past the first stretch, home to local folk like plumbers, seamstresses and the like, you turn on to a quaint, quiet road. The house that will hopefully soon be the home to you and your children, present and future, sits atop its tiny slope, understated but proud. As you drive past the other homes, you see the people that inhabit them. The children run under sprinklers; the parents sit on their porches and enjoy their afternoon cocktails. They all look so happy, so home. This is what you need. This is what will make you happy too. This is Revolutionary Road. Only, it isn’t really that. What it is really, is Sam Mendes’ REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, and just like the pretty picture it paints, it isn’t as revelatory as it inherently suggests nor does it bring the happiness you thought it might.

Mendes has been down this particular road before. In the Oscar winning, AMERICAN BEAUTY, Mendes explored the trappings of suburban life. It was hardly revelatory when he did it then but screenwriter, Alan Ball’s unique take on the subject made it feel fresh and relevant. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD is based on Richard Yates’ 1961 novel of the same name. It tells the story of Frank and April Wheeler (Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet), the lovely, new couple who have bought the aforementioned house at the end of Revolutionary Road and who bring with them the promise of youth and vitality. You see, the Wheeler’s are special. Everyone has always said as much. Then they moved to Revolutionary Road. They made their house into a home and filled that home with two wonderful children. It was at this point that they realized that they may not truly be as special as everyone has always said, that perhaps they are not destined for anything greater than what they already have.

Leo and Kate are perfectly cast as the Wheeler’s. More than ten years after TITANIC, the pair are together again and now everyone gets to see exactly what might have happened if the couple had survived the boat going down. (I trust I gave nothing away there.) And while there is nothing romantic about their reunion, they are REVOTIONARY ROAD’s one true revelation. Winslet is remarkable. She is subtly but always at odds with herself inside. She wants to love her life, her husband, and on some level, she does. But she is also yearning and desperate to feel alive. DiCaprio is a bit shaky but while April’s hand is less than reassuring, Winslet’s hand lifts him and elevates his performance to nearly the same level as hers. To watch the two of them go back and forth between being hopeful for their futures and dismally resigned to a lifetime of unhappiness is a ride well worth taking and one that will certainly leave you dizzy by the time it comes to its harrowing close.

The problem with REVOLUTIONARY ROAD is that Mendes seems more concerned in presenting the Wheeler’s as a symbol for the greater point instead of allowing them to just be the relatable characters that they are. Frank and April are special. When we begin to buy into the idea that we are just like everyone else is when we become just like everyone else. When a film tries to make a point instead of just allowing the point to make itself is when a film takes on an importance it did not earn to start. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD could have been beautiful if it wasn’t trying so hard to be the biggest house on the block.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

I said yesterday that if the Oscar people knew what was good for them, they would nominate THE DARK KNIGHT for Best Picture, Director and Screenplay. Having the biggest box office hit of the year nominated so prominently would give the Academy a ratings boost that they desperately need. Instead, and despite THE DARK KNIGHT earning nominations from the Producer's Guild, Director's Guild and Writer's Guild, they ignored it completely in all the major categories, except of course when it came to Heath Ledger in the Supporting Actor category. Instead the nominations went a little something like this ... THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON leads with 13 nominations. That is one less than I predicted yesterday. Oh, and I should mention here that my predictions in the major categories were 80% accurate. Not too shabby, I think. Anyway, moving on ... while SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is the favorite to win the top prize, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON is certainly the bigger picture and capable of scoring nods in many more of the technical categories. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE finished with 10 nominations, including two in the Best Original Song category. MILK and THE DARK KNIGHT are next with eight nods each and rounding out the Top 5 nomination leaders is that lovable little robot, WALL-E, with six nominations. I should point out that WALL-E did better overall than other Best Picture nominees, FROST/NIXON and THE READER.

SURPRISES ... While I fully expected Viola Davis to grab a nomination for her minimal performance in DOUBT, I did not expect for Amy Adams to join her in the same category for the same film. Including Adams meant excluding Kate Winslet for THE READER, a role which she just won the Golden Globe for. The Academy does not allow actors to earn multiple nominations in the same category in the same year so Winslet's role in THE READER was promoted throughout the campaign season as a supporting role. The push was apparently unconvincing as she actually went on to earn her expected Best Actress nomination for THE READER and not for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD. I think I may have cried a little when that was announced. Joining Winslet in the Best Actress category unexpectedly was Melissa Leo in FROZEN RIVER. The film earned some very early awards season support and it has paid off as FROZEN RIVER managed a Best Original Screenplay nomination as well. That particular category had a few unexpected entries. HAPPY-GO-LUCKY was a long shot in this category but made it anyway. This was its only nomination, which means Sally Hawkins' Golden Globe winning performance in the film was passed over. I believe though that the inclusion of IN BRUGES was certainly the least expected. And while Winslet did not see love come her way for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, Michael Shannon did. Most had expected that the critic's tepid reaction to the film made this nearly impossible. The film earned no love for its leads but he managed overcome.

SNUBS ... THE DARK KNIGHT, duh. This is a technical marvel and was rewarded for all its technical achievements but it was also one of the most engaging blockbusters in recent history and a genre defining epic. The Academy should have noticed what everyone else did. With three surprises in the Original Screenplay category, this meant that exceptional works like RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, THE VISITOR and VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA went overlooked. Oh, and Bruce Springsteen for THE WRESTLER! What gives with that? Springsteen won the Golden Globe for this beautiful song and the Academy decided to only nominate three songs in a year they could have easily nominated this one and that Miley Cyrus/John Travolta track from BOLT as well. I demand an explanation. I doubt I will get one though. Aside from that, I can't think of too many omissions. I'm still pretty much stuck on Christopher Nolan.

For more information on how the Academy Award nominations are decided, check out this article from Variety.com. The 81st Annual Academy Awards will be announced February 22 and Black Sheep Reviews will be bringing you in depth looks at the nominees between now and then.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

The night before the Oscar nominations are announced is a little like the night before Chistmas for me. I even leave cookies and milk by the fireplace, just in case. This year, I think I will make "Dark Knight" cookies, essentially dark chocolate cookies with Joker faces painted on them. My logic is that if Oscar climbs down my chimney and has these fantastic theme cookies, it will ensure that THE DARK KNIGHT secures a Best Picture nomination tomorrow. Basically, if the Oscar people are smart, Christopher Nolan's ginormous hit will hear its name called tomorrow morning in the Best Picture category. The most watched Oscar telecasts have been for years where the front runner is an audience favorite (like LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING or TITANIC). Last year, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, took home the top prize and it was the lowest rated telecast in years. And the Coen Brother masterpiece wasn't even a flop.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

I can't help but look back at 2008 with some disappointment and negativity. It was not an easy year but that isn't why we're here today. We are here today to celebrate and to honour. Many a beautiful film came from the year that just closed and what better way to recognize and show my appreciation than with a nomination for a Mouton d'Or award. I had a particularly difficult time narrowing down the contenders to bring you this year's Mouton d'Or nominations. Still, here they are and to look at them shows me that the films I liked, I loved. Leading the pack with 10 nominations each are RACHEL GETTING MARRIED and MILK. Each film is nomiated for Best Picture and is joined in that category by the three other lead contenders - THE DARK KNIGHT (8 nods), WALL•E (7 nods) and THE WRESTLER (6 nods). Other multiple nominees, each with three nods a piece, include FROST/NIXON, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, THE VISITOR, THE DUCHESS and DOUBT.

One might expect THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON to have scored a number of other nominations given the kudos it has received nearly across the board this awards season. Ultimately though, I found the film to be technically perfect but lacking in sentiment. Hence David Fincher's nomination for direction and no nomination in the Best Picture category. The most notable absence would be Danny Boyle's SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. While this film is certainly a lock for the Best Picture Oscar nomination, I was not roped in by all the pretty colours and gimmicky game show familiarity. I loved the love story but not the film. Still, the film does earn Mouton d'Or nods for editing and cinematography.

There were films I enjoyed that just did not make the cut and so I am sorry KUNG FU PANDA, Leonardo DiCarpio in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, Keira Knightly in THE DUCHESS and Andrew Stanton, director of WALL•E; this is not your year. That said, Stanton does earn a writing nod for WALL•E, which he shares with Jim Reardon and DiCaprio's co-star in a REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, Kate Winslet, gets the nod for her role in that film. Winslet will also have the chance to repeat her Golden Globe wins with a nod here in the Supporting Actress category for THE READER. Other films I wish could have seen more love this year include VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, ENTRE LES MURS (THE CLASS) and the little seen CHE.

Gus Van Sant should be happy to see MILK pulling in 10 Mouton d'Or nominations, including nods for three of the cast, Sean Penn, Josh Brolin and James Franco, who was also excellent in PINEAPPLE EXPRESS. The director earned a nomination for himself in the direction category but there is a stain on this impressive showing (including nods for writing, editing, cinematography and music). Van Sant's "love it or leave it" feature from the beginning of the year, PARANOID PARK, finds itself up for The Worst Movie I saw All Year. That category, to reiterate as I do each year, is based on what I've seen. There are probably far worse films than the five listed below that I was fortunate enough to avoid.

It gives me great pleasure to recognize Jonathan Demme's masterpiece, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, with 10 nominations. It saddens me greatly that this film has received little recognition for anything other than Anne Hathaway's performance. The cast is altogether excellent, as is the direction, writing, editing, music and cinematography - all of which have been recognized here. As for THE WRESTLER, it has been faring much better during awards season. It doesn't stand much chance of a Best Picture Oscar nomination but Aronofsky's subtle and starkly real work is certainly worthy and I am happy to highlight the beautiful performances of both Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei. Both films find themselves in the Best Little Film category. Films nominated in this category are considered independently financed and are therefore eligible to qualify in this category.

Hollywood did good this year. The nominees for Best Big Movie (formerly known as Best Popcorn Flick), include two films that are also competing for Best Picture (WALL•E and THE DARK KNIGHT). The films listed in this category are all there because I had an awesome time sitting in the theatre watching them. Special effects driven films don't have to be bad!

The only new category this year is the Black Sheep Reader's Choice Award. The six films nominated in this category are there because you told me you loved them in the recently closed Best of 2008 contest. The most mentioned films earned nominations and it is now your job to vote for the best of those six by participating in the poll near the top of the sidebar. Vote as many times as you like but be sure to vote!

Now, without any further delay caused by my constant need to ramble - shoot, I'm still doing it - here are the 2009 Mouton d'Or nominees ...

Congratulations go out to Chazz Lyons for winning Black Sheep's Best of 2008 contest! Thanks to some smart maneuvering on his website, GONE CINEMA POACHING, Chazz received the most votes for his Top 5 list. Well, actually, it was more like a Top 6 because he tied the two David Gordon Green films but whatever it is, it worked! Chazz now gets his choice of two DVD's courtesy of Black Sheep Reviews. I can't say that I agree entirely with his choices - blech, PARANOID PARK - but this isn't about me; it's about you. And you have decided ... Congratulations again, Chazz. And thank you to all who participated and voted.

Quick plug before I go ... Be sure to check back tomorrow morning for Black Sheep's 2008 Mouton d'Or nominations. Here's a sneak peak ... Sorry, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE; you'll have to wait until Thursday's Oscar nods for more love.

If you want to read the Black Sheep Review for Chazz's choices, just click on the links below.

Ah, January – the only time of year where a movie about an overweight mall cop can pull in over $30 million in its opening weekend and a film about a dog hotel can open, period.

PAUL BLART: MALL COP, the Kevin James vehicle, surpassed all expectations this weekend to debut atop the chart. Of course, that last statement implies that people had expectations to begin with. James even managed to take down Clint Eastwood, pulling in $10 million more than GRAN TORINO did in its second weekend of wide release. Neither actor has anything to complain about, mind you. James has proven in one single weekend that he can open a major film release and Eastwood has proven that the man is still one of the most impressive box office draws in Hollywood, at least when he is front of the camera and flaunting a shotgun.

The rest of the Top 5 continues to impress as four out of the five earned north of $20 million. The Martin Luther King holiday weekend saw a 31% increase over last year and that is only for the three-day regular weekend period. MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D led the pack, charging right off the screen and into third place. The film’s average was slightly less than last week’s horror entry, THE UNBORN but still played solidly. Mind you, THE UNBORN dropped off 50% this weekend so I’m not sure MY BLOODY VALENTINE will still be around come Valentine’s Day. The Top 10 saw one other entry this week, the wide expansion of the Daniel Craig starring, DEFIANCE. The film earned a stable but unimpressive average of just over $5K for an eighth place finish. The awards contender has seen little support and is not expected to be an Oscar surprise.

Pulling in the highest per screen average of any film in release this weekend was NOTORIOUS, the life and death story of the Notorious B.I.G. This was only one of many reasons for the Fox people to celebrate this weekend. Last week’s Golden Globe winner for Best Motion Picture (drama), SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, narrowly surpassed fellow competitor, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, to sneak back into the Top 10 with a resurged five figure average. The film is a lock for a bunch of Oscar nominations so Slumdog’s millions will continue to roll in for weeks to come. Also, Fox Searchlight’s THE WRESTLER, fresh from winning two Golden Globes including Best Actor (drama) for Mickey Rourke, continued its slow expansion with an addition of 84 screens and saw another surge of over 100%.

In other Golden Globe news, Kate Winslet’s double win helped REVOLUTIONARY ROAD continue to expand solidly, increasing 22% over last week. Her Supporting Actress win for THE READER did not fare as well though. The film continues to perform decently but lost 90 screens this week and saw its returns fall off 9%. Awards season still has another month to go so some of the contenders need to pick it up. The Golden Globe winner for Best Foreign Language Film , WALTZ WITH BASHIR, fought the film’s controversy to increase 18% over last week. And the Golden Globe winner for Best Motion Picture (comedy), Woody Allen’s VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, tacked on another 50 screens and surged 112% despite its home video release being just a couple of weeks away.

NEXT WEEK: We shall see how this Thursday’s Oscar nominees shape the contender grosses, if at all. This is especially true for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, THE WRESTLER, FROST/NIXON and SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, as all four jump into aggressive expansions in hopes that their film will be receiving many a nod this week. Even THE DARK KNIGHT returns for awards season, reappearing on over 200 screens and ensuring that it will cross the $1 billion mark internationally. As for brand new wide releases, look for Brandon Fraser in INKHEART, which seems awful close in premise to JOURNEY AT THE CENTER OF THE EARTH to me, and the latest installment in the now Kate Beckinsale-less franchise, UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS. Or don’t look for them; they don’t sound worth looking for to me.

Written by Clayton Frohman and Edward ZwickDirected by Edward ZwickStarring Daniel Craig, Live Schreiber and Jamie Bell

Viktor Panchenko: But Jews do not fight.Tuvia Bielski: These Jews do.

DEFIANCE opens with what felt to me like an unintentional act of its own defiance. Black and white footage made to look archival, graces the screen in a harrowing montage. There are the screams of children being pulled away from their parents; there are the images of Nazis senselessly putting guns to the backs of people’s heads and pulling the triggers. There is even a score driven by the violin work of Joshua Bell that sounds an awful lot like the one in that Spielberg movie with the girl in the red coat. Director, Edward Zwick’s message is clear. He doesn’t want to talk about the holocaust. Why should he? We all already know the story there. In case we don’t, he is sure to throw in a few facts up on screen between the quick and horrible imagery. The holocaust is not the story he wants to tell. However, reducing the holocaust to a montage so that the audience is brought up to speed is such an offensive trivialization of a mind-blowing tragedy that it is a miracle that DEFIANCE ever manages to recover from its first few moments.

The story that Zwick is in such a rush to get to is actually well worth telling, just not worth the steps he took to get there. Daniel Craig, Live Schreiber and Jamie Bell are the Bielski brothers. The SS has killed their parents and most other siblings and they have sought refuge in a nearby forest. Before long, they run into a number of other people who have found themselves in the same situation. The numbers grow into a community and even though they barely have shelter to keep themselves warm through the winter and rarely get to eat more than a bowl of potato soup, they have something far more valuable; they have their freedom. As DEFIANCE is quite pleased to boast, the Bielski’s beautiful acts and the thousands of lives that were saved by these acts are the untold holocaust story. Unfortunately, the story itself isn’t told all that genuinely. Instead, Zwick, along with co-writer, Clayton Frohman, chooses to highlight conventional devices like brotherly alpha male conflicts instead of focusing on the gripping reality around them.

Like Zwick’s last offering, BLOOD DIAMOND, DEFIANCE is set in a dire situation to make the conventional plot points seem that much more horrific. It is the kind of movie that makes me wish it would have been better than it was as the story itself is quite moving. Somewhere in the middle of the lengthy stay in the forest, DEFIANCE finally finds its footing and allows the true bravery of the Bielski’s to shine. I only wish Zwick’s sense of satisfaction in being the first to show the Jews taking a stand and fighting back didn’t taint the whole thing. Oh, and I think someone should tell him that Spielberg beat him to that punch too.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

You are never going to believe this but SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is nominated for the most BAFTA's, the British equivalent of the Academy Awards. It ties THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON with 11 nominations. Given the director's British roots, it is not at all surprising that SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE even swept up its stars, Dev Patel and Freida Pinto into the acting categories. Stateside, this has been the only sticking point for the film thus far. That said, its four Golden Globe wins the other day may change that come Oscar time. Speaking of the Globes, Kate Winslet, another British born baby, follows up her double win with a double nomination in the Lead Actrss category. Stateside, her role in THE READER is being billed as a supporting role. If you've seen the film, you would know this is a political stretch to get the woman as much ercognition as possible as you cannot earn two Oscar nominations in the same acting category in the same year. The role is supporting only after you make certain arguments for the case. At first glance, you would never think that. With Winslet taking up two spots in that category, Anne Hathaway in RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, an early front-runner for the Oscar suffers a major set back in her race to the gold. Brad Pitt also picked up two nominations, recognized in the lead category for his title role in THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON and in the supporting category for his first time out with the Coen Brothers in BURN AFTER READING, which also scored a screenplay nod. I was most surprised by the BAFTA's loev thrown at CHANGELING. I am accustomed to Clint Eastwood sneaking into the Oscar race at the last second but if he were to do it this year, I would expect it would be with GRAN TORINO. CHANGELING even got Clint a director nod, forcing MILK's Gus Van Sant out. Its eight nominations even spread far and wide across the technical awards, like editing and sound. The BAFTA'S also practically ignored THE DARK KNIGHT. Heath Ledger picked up his supporting actor nod but Christopher Nolan was left off the director list as well as the adapted screenplay list. Still, as DOUBT failed to secure any nominations in the picture, director or even screenplay categories, THE DARK KNIGHT and DOUBT are still battling it out for that fifth wildcard Oscar slot.

About Black Sheep Reviews

ABOUT THE SITE ... In September of 2005, Joseph Belanger, sat down to write what would become the first Black Sheep review. Between then and now, BLACK SHEEP REVIEWS, has been finding its voice amidst a sea of sheep. Seeing what the herd wants is fine from time to time but sometimes this sheep needs a quiet empty theatre where he can be alone and more himself. Reviewing is just his way of playing shepherd for a change ... ABOUT THE SHEEP HIMSELF ... JOSEPH BELANGER (Writer and Founder of BLACK SHEEP REVIEWS) ... I have filled out so many online "About Me" sections now and they are always a large attempt at sounding witty and important. How about an "About Me, the Film Reviewer" instead this time. Seems fitting ...
Some call me a film snob ... ok, my brother calls me a film snob. I don't see myself so. I just like films to be well-intentioned, to be about something, to not talk down to me. I have a sensitive soul and I like to write about the quiet conversations that my soul has with the movies on the screen.